House moving dolly



Sept. 21, 1948. J. RAPP 2,449,670

HOUSE MOVING DOLLY Filed July 8, 1947 3 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Inventor John Rapp @mah f eon Wave; 3m I Q Sept. 21, 1948. J, RApp 2,449,670

HOUSE MOVING DOLLY Filed July 8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

Inveutar John Rapp WW Z9 M3 Sept. 21, 1948. v h Y J. RAPP 2,449,670

HOUSE MOVING DOLLY Filed July 8, .1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig 4.

Fig.5.

. n n u n ,I'. 62 70 74 76 72 /64 ,6 I

Inventor John Rapp WWW 19m Patented Sept. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES:

oerrlcs This-invention relatesto novel and useful-kn provements in a house movingdolly and-more for the front end of the trailer for moving ex tremely heavy loads therein; 'wherein an improved working mechanism is provided for the rear wheels of the supporting truck "adapted for detachable connection with the brake operating means of a tractor vehicle; wherein a highly im'-- provedform of drawbar or tongue is provided for pulling and steering the supporting truck,

These, together with further ancillaryobjects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are an tained by this device, the preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, solelyby wa of example, in the accompanying drawingsywherei'nf l Figure" 1 is a side elevational"viewshowing a trailerfor moving a house and a-su'pporting' truok secured to the front end thereofin accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a topplannew of the-supporting truck ofthe trailer;

Figure 3 is i a longitudinal vertioansectionai view takefi Substantially 1113011 the section 75 lilfl 3-'-3- of Figure 2-and ShOW-H'lg'the eonstruotionof the supporting truck togetnerwitn the-mounting or the front-end or the trailer thereon;-

Fig'iire 4 is" a transverse verticalseetionarview taken through the front portionor the supporting truek'and the front end of the trailer "mountline 4 4 orFigureS; I

Figure '5 a longitudinal vertical seotional view-repne'senti'n an enlarged detailed #view of" th swiveling OOfifieI-lllifi between the supportingtruck and the trailer;

Figure -6 15 2'," perspective new of th diawbfil ot the trailer and Figure 7 is a fragmentaryperspeotive' viewofa fiitin 6f thifillfitidfir =Reiernne now mere speeifieauy totneattain ii-Claim; (Cl. 2806*116) panying' drawings; wherein like numerals" designatesimilar parts throughout the various views, attentionfis' directed first to Figure 1 wherein there is disoloseda dolly or trailer 10 of sufiicient size and strength; of construction to transport a house indicated" at [2 thereon, the-rear end of this trailerbeing provided with a pair of'wheeled axles 14, while the frontendthereof is elevated to provide an overhanging portion it adapted'for swivel support upon a truck designated generally at 20} Extending from the front end or the supporting truck 20in a manner to be subsequently set forth, isa drawbarconstruction designated generally at 22, and which is-adapted for attachable enasement witha tractor Vehicle, not shown, by

means of which the'trailer may be moved and its operation guided and controlled.

For a better understanding or the front supporting truek, whose construction forms the subjeot matter of this invention, attention is'now direotedchlefiy toFigures 2, 3 and 4. This sup-- portingtr'uck, which will necessarily be a veri heavy, rigidandsturdy constructionin view of the-"purposes ror which "it is intended, consists ar a longitudinallyextending beam 24 of any suitable material'such as heavywood or a steel beam aspreferred, which'beam is supported at its reairend by *atransverse'l'y disposed axle 26 mounted 'asby J'ournals28 beneath a transversely extending axle block 35!) rigidly secured beneath the longitudinal beam as by'fastening means '32.-

suitable number of supporting wheels 34 are "attached in a conventional manner to the ends or extremities of the axle 26. Conventional forcements serve to rigidly secureand brace the rear axle assembly upon the truck.

The-front axle '42 is pivotally secured intermediateits endbeneath the front portion of the longitudinalbeamld and is-provided with a plurality of wheels M-suitably' journalled upon its extremities. 'l'he front axle 42 is employed to tow --the' trailer,- and also is utilized to steer and the beam l 24 for -supportingthe load imposed thereonbytthe loading trailer,-' a truss type or reinforcement is employed as shown in Figures 2 and 3, this reinforcement comprising a pair of angle iron members 46 and 48 embracing the forward and rearward upper edges of the beam 24. Extending transversely beneath the midpoint of the longitudinal beam 24 is a strut 50 of any suitable material such as hardwood, steel or the like, and a pair of trusses in the form of terminally threaded tension rods 52 are positioned under the strut 50 and have their ends extending through suitable apertures in the angle irons 48 and 48, these rods being tensioned as by nuts 56 threaded upon the outer extremities thereof.

I retaining the pivot pin in its bore extending ver- By means of this truss construction, the longitudinal beam is further strengthened against sagging along its length under the load-to be imposed thereon.

A swiveling connection whose construction is shown best in Figure 5, is secured to the upper surface of the beam 24 intermediate its end and to the lower surface of the front portion l6 of the trailer it). This swiveling connection comprises a generally rectangular plate 56 secured as by a plurality of bolts 58 to the beam 24, this plate providing a hemi-spherical ball seat to centrally thereof. A complementaryplate 621s secured to the under surface of the portion I6 of the trailer as by bolts 64, and this plate is provided with a centrally depressed boss 66 whose lower surface is provided with a hemi-spherical socket or seat 68 which is adapted to snugly receive the ball seat (ii) carried by the beam 24, for swiveling and socketing engagement therewith. The boss 66 is further provided with a downwardly extending bore 36 opening at its lower end into the socket 68 while its upper endterminates in a well or recess 12 in the upper surface of the plate 62. A retaining bolt, pin or the like 74 having a suitable enlarged head '86, is received in countersunlc and recessed position in the Well "it, this pin 74 extending loosely through the bore it and being received in an aligned bore,

it formed in the ball member Bil. As will be seen from an inspection of Figure-5, the retaining pin M is tightly received in the ball member 60, while itshead it retains the socket member 68 upon the complementary swiveling connector, while sufiicient clearance is provided between the member M and the bore it, to permit considerable oscillatory movement of the ballseat upon the supporting ball Si By means of this construction, considerable lateral and longitudinal inclination is permitted to the supporting truck 29 without altering or shifting the even support of the trailer 80.

It should be here noted that the strut 58 above mentioned is preferably located beneath the cen ter of the swiveling connection, to thereby strengthen and support the beamat the point where it receives the greatest bending load thereon, while the rear brace rods 38 for the rear axles are connected to the beam forwardly of the strut and of the swiveling connection.

Attention is now directed more specifically to the construction and mounting of the front axle, and for this purpose reference is made especially to Figures 2, 3 and 7 of the drawings As shown more clearly in Figure 7, the front axle 42' is welded or otherwise rigidly secured at its midpoint within a yoke member 80 having upwardly extending legs, and an integral downwardly extending pin 82. Aligned with the pin 82 is an upwardly extending pivot rod 84 having an enlarged head portion 86 at its lower end which is journalled for oscillatory movement between the tically through the beam 24.

A reinforcing rod or strap 94 is terminally secureda't one end upon the downwardly extending pin 82, and at the other end to the lower sur- ,face of the longitudinal beam at a point rearwardly of the strut 50 and swiveling connection,

as by means of a bolt 96. As will be seen, the

front end of this reinforcing rod is journalled upon the pivot end of the front axle, whereby movement of the axle will not disturb the position and reinforcing function of this rod. v y

In v order to tow the trailer, and to steerv and guide the same, a drawbar whose construction is shownbest in Figure 6 and indicated in Figures 2 and. 3, is provided. This drawbar con: struction ,22, consists of a transversely extending bar or beam of suitable material as shown at 93, and which is provided intermediate its end andupon its upper edge with a recess or notched portion lilo for a purpose to be later set forth, is attached rigidly, as by means of rearwardly extending clamps 492, to the axle 42 on opposite sides of the pivot pin 84. Centrally and forwardly extending from the cross beam 98 is a member I04. while inclined reinforcing members )6 are terminally connectedto the extremities of the cross beam 98 and to the sides of the forwardly extending member Hi4. All of these connections may preferably be formed by welding or the like. A tongue, indicated at I08, isprovidedtowing and guiding the front axle of thesupp0ljting truck 20 of the trailer Ill. Itshould be noted that the stress of the drawbar I08 and I04 applied at a plurality of spaced points upon the beam 98, while the latter distributes the loadto theaxle at opposite sides of the pivot point thereof, to improve the stability of the steering of the trailer.

Attention is next directed to the brake mechanism ofthe truck, which is shown best in Figures 2 and 3. Forwardly extending laterally disposed brake operating links or rods H4 are provided which are pivotally connected at their rear ends to suitable brake operating levers not shown, as: at H6, while their front ends are pivotally con nected to a transverse bar H8 at the extremities thereof. It is intended that the brake links or rods shall rest within the abov mentioned notch or recess I00 in the crossbar 98, while any suitable form of detachable connection; such as ahook I20 is provided intermediate the bar ,I I8 for detachable connection with a brake operating means ofa tracton'not shown.

From the foregoing, it isybelieved that th con, struction and operation of the invention will be readily understood, and since various modifications of the same will be obvious to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the accompanying specification and drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, since all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the intended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In a trailer, a wheeled truck pivotall supporting the front end of a wheeled trailer, said truck including a longitudinal beam, front and rear axles secured transversely beneath said beam and a swiveling connection carried intermediate said beam and secured to the front end of a trailer, reinforcing rods secured to said rear axle and to said beam forwardly of said swiveling connection, a transverse strut beneath the midpoint of said beam, and laterally spaced, longitudinal trusses engaging said strut and terminally secured to the upper ends of said beam.

JOHN RAPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Higbee Apr. 26, 1932 

